Damper construction



-pril l, 1952 E. B. MORGAN DAMPER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 30, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l April l, 1952 E. B. MORGAN Y 2,590,998

DAMPER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 50. 1949 2 SHEETS-#SHEET 2 INVENTOR. .EI-l''ly Morgan Patented Apr. 1, 1952 DAMPER CONSTRUCTION Erving B. Morgan, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1949, 'Serial No. 130,183

9 Claims.

lThe present invention relates to damper constructions and more particularly to dam-per constructions used in ventilation flues through the `cement floors of buildings such as theatres, auditoriums and the like.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a damper construction in which the damper plate is installed in a sleeve which is set in the cement floor of a theatre or the like at the time the cement is poured, and to provide such a damper construction which is eicient and which is economically made, and quickly assembled, from a few simply constructed parts.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View, partly in front elevation vand partly in section taken on line I-I of Figure 2, of the lower end of a theatre chair supporting standard and a baiiied ventilator hood secured thereto, and of the theatre floor and damper conv struction of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the same shown partly in side elevation and partly in section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the damper construction taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1 and showing the damper plate in a horizontal position;

Figure 4 is a top planview of the damper plate per se with parts thereof shown in their normalpositions in dotted lines and in inwardly sprung positions in solid lines;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of parts of the damper construction, taken on section line 5-5 of Figure 3, and showing cerare not intended for the purpose of varyingthe fiow of air through the flues (although corrective adjustment can be made after installation), but are rather intended for permanent Asetting to adjust the ow of air through the numerous nues so that a uniform flow of lair is supplied through each flue regardless of its proximity to thesource of supply to the plenum chamber. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the damper construction shown in Patent No. 2,206,749, issued July 2, 1940, to my assignee; and also utilizes certain features disclosed in Patent No. 2,165,593 issued July 11 1939, likewise to my assignee.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in this case, Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a cement theatre oor I having a plenum chamber therebeneath indicated by the numeral II, and having vflue I2 therethrough. Such ues are usually located directly beneath certain of the chair supporting standards in a theatre, one of which is indicated fragmentarily in Figures 1 and 2 and is riesig-'- nated I3. A Ventilating hood generally designated I4 comprises complementary halves secured together on opposite sides of the standard I3 by means of a bolt I5, said hood being directly over the flue I2 and being provided for the purpose of diffusing the conditioned air passing upwardly through said flue.

The damper plate I6, which will be more particularly described hereinafter, is mounted in a sleeve Il which is preferably integrally cast from grey iron and has a laterally extending lowerperipheral iiange I8. A sleeve extension I9 is desirably made of Asheet metal wrapped around the upper end of the sleeve I'I and having its meeting ends secured together vas by means of rivets 20, said sleeve extension I 9 being secured to the sleeve I'I as by means of Vscrews or rivets 2| (see Figure 1). The height of the cast metal sleeve I'I is the same for all installations, whereas the height of the sleeve extension I9 ymay be varied so that the total height of sleeve and sleeve extension assembled is equal to the thickness of the floor in a particular installation. This assembly is set in position on a temporary sub-fiooneither with or without the damper plate I6 assembled thereto, prior to pouring of the cement floor, so that the sleeve and sleeve extension are permanently embedded in the oor and form the Ventilation flue I2 .at the time the cement is poured.

The damper I6 comprises a unitary plate preferably of cast iron, which is cast with circuitous slots 22 therethrough which form diametrically opposed arms 23 which are laterally springable relative to the main body of the damper plate. Reinforcingrid-ges 2li are cast in the plate alongside the circuitous slots 2.2 to insure against breakage of the arms 23 from the main body of the damper plate I5. The arms 23 have integrally cast, diametrically opposed, laterally extending cylindrical pins 25 thereon, and integrally cast collars 26 adjacent said pins 25. l i

The sleeve IT has diametrically opposed cylindrical openings therethrough forming bearings 27 for the pins 25 of the damper plate, and the sleeve l1 is also provided with longitudinally extending guide grooves 28 in the inner wall thereof adjacent said bearings 21.

'I'he normal distance between the ends of the pins 25 of the damper plate is somewhat greater than the diameter of the sleeve il at the bearings 21. In assembling the damper to the sleeve, the arms 23 of the damper plate are sprung inwardly as indicated in full lines in Figure 4 so that the pins 25 may be simultaneously inserted within the respective guide grooves 28, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5. It will be seen that the damper may thus be inserted in the sleeve from either the top or the bottom, and in either case the damper is moved longitudinally in the sleeve until the pins 25 arrive at the bearings 2l whereupon the arms 23 of the damper plate spring outwardly to rotatably seat the pins 25 in the bearings 21. Collars 26 on the damper plate engage the inner wall of the sleeve I'I adjacent the guide grooves 28 and provide suilicient friction to maintain the damper permanently in its manually set position for adjusting the flow of air as required for the particular flue in which the damper is mounted. The damper plate may also desirably be cast as indicated in Figure 6, wherein the arms 23 .L of the damper plate I6 .L normally project laterally outwardly from the main body of the damper plate, thus to provide more friction between the damper plate and the sleeve when these parts are assembled.

As here shown the damper plate I6 is oblong in form, with semicircular ends, and the sleeve l1 is correspondingly shaped in cross-section. However this form may be varied if desired, and other details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted, without departing from the spirit of invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the flue having diametrically opposed openings therein forming bearings; and a damper comprising a unitary plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of said sleeve at the bearings, and said arms being springable inwardly to permit insertion of the damper in the sleeve and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably seat said pins in said bearings.

2. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the flue having diametrically opposed openings therein forming bearings; and a damper comprising a unitary cast metal plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of said sleeve at the bearings, and said arms being springable inwardly to permit insertion of the damper in the sleeve and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably seat said pins in said bearings.

3. In a damper construction for a ilue: a sleeve in the ilue having diametrically opposed openings therein forming bearings; and a damper comprising a unitary cast metal plate having circuitous lslots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon and said plate having reinforcing ridges cast therein alongside said circuitous slots, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of said sleeve at the bearings, and said arms being springable inwardly to permit insertion of the damper in the sleeve and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably seat said pins in said bearings.

4. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the flue having diametrically opposed openings therethrough forming bearings and having longitudinal guide grooves in the inner wall of the sleeve adjacent said bearings respectively; and a damper comprising a plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve at the bearings, and said arms being springable inwardly to permit simultaneous insertion of said pins in the guide grooves and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably seat said pins in said bearings.

5. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the ue having diametrically opposed openings therethrough forming bearings and having longitudinal guide grooves in the inner wall of the sleeve adjacent said bearings respectively; and a damper comprising a unitary cast metal plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve at the bearings, and said arms being springable inwardly to permit simultaneous insertion of said pins in the guide grooves and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably seat said pins in said bearings.

6. In a damper construction for a ue: a sleeve in the flue having diametrically opposed openings therethrough forming bearings and having longitudinal guide grooves in the inner wall of the sleeve adjacent said bearings respectively; and a damper comprising a unitary cast metal plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve at the bearings, and said arms springable inwardly to permit simultaneous insertion of said pins in the guide grooves and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably seat said pins in said bearings; and collars cast on said damper plate adjacent said pins and bearing against the inner walls of the sleeve adjacent said guide grooves in the assembled position of the damper within the sleeve.

7. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the flue having diametrically opposed openings therethrough forming bearings and having longitudinal guide grooves in the inner wall of the sleeve adjacent said bearings respectively; a damper comprising a unitary cast metal plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrically opposed laterally springable arms provided with laterally extending pins thereon and said plate having reinforcing ridges cast therein alongside said circuitous slots, the normal distance between the ends of said pins being greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve at the bearings, and said arms being springable inwardly to permit simultaneous insertion ofsaid pins in the guide grooves and being thereafter springable outwardlymto rotatably seat said pins in said bearings; and collars cast on said damper plate adjacent said -pins and bearing against the inner walls of the sleeve adjacent-said guide grooves in the assembled position of the damper within the sleeve.

8. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the luj a damper comprising a unitary plate having circuitous slots therethroughfiforming diametrically opposed laterally springable'arms; and cooperating pin and bearing connections on said sleeve and said arms, said arms being springable inwardly to permit insertion of the damper in the sleeve and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably engage said pin and bearing connections.

9. In a damper construction for a flue: a sleeve in the ilue; a damper comprising a unitary cast metal plate having circuitous slots therethrough forming diametrlcally opposed laterally springable arms; and cooperating pin and bearing connections on said sleeve and said arms, said arms being springable inwardly to permit insertion of the damper in thegsleeve and being thereafter springable outwardly to rotatably engage said pin and bearing c'nnections.

ERVING B. MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:v

UNITED ISIATES PATENTS Morgan July 2, 1940 

